Index: api.scm
==================================================================
--- api.scm
+++ api.scm
@@ -273,11 +273,11 @@
 					 ;; 				(thread-sleep! 0.5))
 					 (normal-proc cmd run-id params))
 					(else
 					 (normal-proc cmd run-id params))))
 			     (meta   (case cmd
-				       ((ping) `((sstate . ,server-state)))
+				       ((ping) `((sstate . ,server-state)(sload . ,numthreads)))
 				       (else   `((wait . ,delay-wait)))))
 			     (payload (list status errmsg result meta)))
 			;; (cmd run-id params meta)
 			(db:add-stats cmd run-id params (- (current-milliseconds) start-t))
 			payload))

Index: tcp-transportmod.scm
==================================================================
--- tcp-transportmod.scm
+++ tcp-transportmod.scm
@@ -205,17 +205,27 @@
 	(begin 
           (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "already connected to a server for " dbfname)
            conn) ;; we are already connected to the server
 
 	;; no conn
+
+	;; find server with lowest number of threads running (i.e. lowest load)
+	;;
         (let* ((sdats (tt:get-server-info-sorted ttdat dbfname))
 	       (sdat  (if (null? sdats)
 			  #f
-			  (let ((indx (max (random (- (length sdats) 1)) 0)))
-			    (list-ref sdats indx)))))
-	   (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "found sdat " sdat)
-           (match sdat
+			  ;; choose server with lowest threads count
+			  (car (sort sdats
+				     (lambda (a b)
+				       (let* ((load-a (tt:get-server-threads a))
+					      (load-b (tt:get-server-threads b)))
+					 (< load-a load-b))))))))
+				     
+	  ;; (let ((indx (max (random (- (length sdats) 1)) 0)))
+	  ;;    (list-ref sdats indx)))))
+	  (debug:print-info 1 *default-log-port* "found sdat " sdat" from sdats: "sdats)
+          (match sdat
 	    ((host port start-time server-id pid dbfname2 servinffile)
 	     (assert (equal? dbfname dbfname2) "FATAL: read server info from wrong file.")
              (debug:print-info 2 *default-log-port* "no conn - in match servinffile:" servinffile)
 	     (let* ((host-port (conc host":"port))
 		    (conn (make-tt-conn
@@ -276,10 +286,33 @@
 (define (tt:timed-ping host port server-id)
   (let* ((start-time (current-milliseconds))
 	 (result     (tt:ping host port server-id)))
     (cons result (- (current-milliseconds) start-time))))
     
+(define *server-load* (make-hash-table))
+
+(define (tt:save-server-meta host port meta)
+  (hash-table-set! *server-load* (conc host":"port) meta))
+
+(define (tt:get-server-threads dat)
+  (let* ((host (car  dat))
+	 (port (cadr dat))
+	 (meta (tt:get-server-meta host port #t)))
+    (if (list? meta)
+	(alist-ref 'sload meta)
+	#f)))
+ 
+;; lazy get, does not auto-refresh meta, this might be a problem
+;;
+(define (tt:get-server-meta host port #!optional (do-ping #f))
+  (let* ((meta (hash-table-ref/default *server-load* (conc host":"port) #f)))
+    (if (and (not meta)
+	     do-ping)
+	(begin
+	  (tt:timed-ping host port #f)
+	  (hash-table-ref/default *server-load* (conc host":"port) #f))
+	meta)))
 
 (define (tt:ping host port server-id #!optional (tries-left 5))
   (let*  ((res      (tt:send-receive-direct host port `(ping #f #f #f) ping-mode: #t)) ;; please send me your server-id
 	  (try-again (lambda ()
 		       (if (> tries-left 0)
@@ -290,16 +323,18 @@
     ;;
     ;; need two threads, one a 5 second timer
     ;;
     (match res
       ((status errmsg result meta)
+       (tt:save-server-meta host port meta)
        (if (equal? result server-id)
 	   (let* ((server-state (alist-ref 'sstate meta)))
 	     ;; (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "Ping to "host":"port" successful.")
 	     (or server-state 'unk)) ;; then we are good
 	   (begin
-	     (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: server-id does not match, expected: "server-id", got: "result)
+	     (if server-id
+		 (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "WARNING: server-id does not match, expected: "server-id", got: "result))
 	     #f)))
       (else
        ;; (debug:print 0 *default-log-port* "res not in form (status errmsg result meta), got: "res)
        (try-again)))))
 
@@ -387,10 +422,12 @@
 	  (thread-sleep! 1) ;; no conn yet set up, give it a rest and try again
 	  (tt:handler ttdat cmd run-id params attemptnum readonly-mode dbfname testsuite mtexe server-start-proc)))))
 
 ;; gets server info and appends path to server file
 ;; sorts by age, --oldest-- now newest first
+;;
+;; move the ping here?
 ;;
 ;; returns list of (host port startseconds server-id servinfofile)
 ;;
 (define (tt:get-server-info-sorted ttdat dbfname)
   (let* ((areapath (tt-areapath ttdat))
@@ -600,10 +637,11 @@
 	       (home-host (if (null? good-srvrs)
 			      #f
 			      (caar good-srvrs))))
 	  ;; by here we have a trustworthy list of servers and we have removed the .servinfo file for any unresponsive servers
 	  ;; and the list is in good-srvrs
+	  ;;
 	  (cond
 	   ((not home-host) ;; no servers yet, go ahead and start
 	    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "No servers yet, starting on "(get-host-name)))
 	   ((> (length good-srvrs) 3) ;; don't need more, just exit
 	    (debug:print-info 0 *default-log-port* "Have "(length good-srvrs)", no need for more, exiting.")
@@ -765,11 +803,13 @@
     serv-id))
 
 ;; find valid server
 ;; get servers listed, last part of name must match :<dbfname>
 ;; if more than one, wait one second and look again
-;; future: ping oldest, if alive remove other :<dbfname> files
+;; 
+;; NOTE: this only gets the servinfo data, no network activity here
+;;       i.e. no ping etc.
 ;;
 (define (tt:find-server areapath dbfname)
   (let* ((servdir  (tt:get-servinfo-dir areapath))
 	 (sfiles   (glob (conc servdir"/*:"dbfname)))
 	 (goodfiles '()))